diff --git a/fs/nfsd/export.c b/fs/nfsd/export.c
index c7bbf460b009..6ab8de40904c 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/export.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/export.c
@@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ struct svc_export *
 rqst_exp_get_by_name(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct vfsmount *mnt,
 		struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct svc_export *gssexp, *exp = NULL;
+	struct svc_export *gssexp, *exp = ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
 
 	if (rqstp->rq_client == NULL)
 		goto gss;
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ gss:
 						&rqstp->rq_chandle);
 	if (PTR_ERR(gssexp) == -ENOENT)
 		return exp;
-	if (exp && !IS_ERR(exp))
+	if (!IS_ERR(exp))
 		exp_put(exp);
 	return gssexp;
 }
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ gss:
 struct svc_export *
 rqst_exp_find(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, int fsid_type, u32 *fsidv)
 {
-	struct svc_export *gssexp, *exp = NULL;
+	struct svc_export *gssexp, *exp = ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
 
 	if (rqstp->rq_client == NULL)
 		goto gss;
@@ -1318,7 +1318,7 @@ gss:
 						&rqstp->rq_chandle);
 	if (PTR_ERR(gssexp) == -ENOENT)
 		return exp;
-	if (exp && !IS_ERR(exp))
+	if (!IS_ERR(exp))
 		exp_put(exp);
 	return gssexp;
 }